Backgrounds of MAF Advocates as Diverse as the People MAF Serves
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t would be easy to assume that everyone serving with MAF’s Advocate Wing is a pilot or aviation professional. In reality, that assumption simply isn’t true; the group of volunteers who give of their time to acquaint churches and individuals with the ministry of MAF is as diverse as the people MAF serves. For 22-year-old Arielle Eicher, becoming an MAF Advocate was a slow process. But when she began serving last year, she realized it was worth the wait. “I first got involved with MAF because my mother supported it,” said Eicher, who serves in the eastern Oregon and western Idaho region. “I began supporting MAF financially in 2008 and adopted two missionary families in 2010, committing to give and pray
for their work in Indonesia. But God wanted more.” Jack Erdmann, a 57-year-old quality technician at Kohler in Wisconsin, read Jungle Pilot and connected with retired MAF pilot Bill Clapp through his pastor and Bill’s brother, Roger. After learning more about the ministry, Erdmann contacted MAF and later was invited to serve as an advocate. “One of the biggest surprises about MAF for me was that I hadn’t known about MAF previously,” said Erdmann, who has his private pilots license. “I had not realized just how big and purposeful an organization it was in doing God’s work.”
MAF Advocates are comprised of educators, medical professionals, musicians, aviators, engineers, business owners, landscapers, welders, and farmers, among others. They also vary in age from 22 to 83. Yet they all share a passion for the Gospel and telling others about MAF. “I feel extremely honored and blessed in being able to represent MAF, even in a small way,” said Greg Pyles, a 52-year-old landscape designer and former missionary who lives in central Ohio. “The time and energy I spend on MAF tasks and activities are so much more rewarding than my regular job.” If you love missions and the work of MAF in spreading the Gospel to the most difficult areas in the world, why not join the effort? Contact us at 1-800-359-7623 or advocatewing@maf.org.
MAF requires a vast network to fill its unique role in missions. It also requires a diverse group of advocates.
Missionary Spotlight: Back to Africa
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f David and Donna Jacobsson wanted to opt out of serving another term in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), nobody would blame them. Facing angry gunmen and fearing for the lives of one’s family is the kind of trauma that never really goes away. But for these veteran MAF missionaries, faith continues to override fear. “We still sense a strong call to be in DRC. Until that changes, we don’t want to be anywhere else,” David said. The Jacobssons left MAF’s East DRC base in Nyankunde during a harrowing evacuation in 2002, and returned in November 2007 for an 18-month stint. Now after serving at MAF headquarters for the past two years, the couple is returning to eastern DRC to minister in MAF’s program in Bunia with their 11-year-old son, Andrew.
“There are some painful memories,” Donna said in reference to the family’s evacuation during a time when thousands of people were slaughtered in ethnic clashes. “But that’s not the end of the story. God has been doing an amazing work of healing among the people, and it has been inspiring to hear about.” In 2008, Donna was privileged to walk alongside some 200 ex-militia, now believers, in a repentance march in downtown Bunia. “The expressions of freedom and joy on their faces were fantastic—a powerful witness to the transforming power of the Gospel,” Donna recalled. This time, the Jacobssons are looking forward to rekindling longtime relationships and working closer with local churches. While ethnic tensions have lessened, rebel groups continue the violence in regions around Bunia. The partnership between the Congolese Church and MAF is all the more strategic in reaching into hurting areas. To learn more about the Jacobssons and to support their ministry in DRC, visit www.maf.org/jacobsson.
Winter 2012 | www.maf.org
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